WHILE Darlington waved farewell to 2004 with mixed emotions, it would appear that David Hodgson's men can do no wrong in 2005.

Quakers maintained their impressive start to the year with a 3-1 win over Macclesfield Town at the Williamson Motors Stadium yesterday, to move up to sixth in League Two.

Just 48 hours after ending top-of-the-table Scunthorpe's 12-match unbeaten run, Quakers comfortably beat a poor Macclesfield side.

In front of a disappointing 3,677 crowd - a 3,351 drop from their previous home game against Rochdale - Quakers were always in control against a side who began the afternoon above them.

Quakers could even afford a tenth minute penalty miss from Clyde Wijnhard, before the Dutchman regained his composure to open the scoring after 26 minutes.

Skipper Neil Maddison added a second with his first goal of the season before Jon Parkin gave the visitors hope, pulling a goal back before half-time.

Even at 2-1 up Quakers rarely looked like surrendering their slender lead, and substitute Alun Armstrong wrapped up victory with nine minutes remaining.

After conceding ten goals in their last three games of 2004, manager Hodgson is delighted with the way his players have suddenly revived their promotion hopes.

"On the back of three horrendous defeats the lads have somehow managed to dig themselves out of it," said Hodgson.

"We've got to give them an enormous amount of credit for being able to go down to Scunthorpe and get a result, which we deserved.

"We started well, although the penalty miss may have been a blessing in disguise for us. I think sometimes you can score too early and as it turned out everything worked out pretty well for us.

"Coming in at half-time 2-1 up, I wanted the lads to show the same sort of desire and commitment that they showed at Scunthorpe and they did."

Debutant Jason St Juste soon endeared himself to home crowd, showing good skill and pace to get past Matt Carragher down the left, before sending a teasing cross to the back post.

It was intended for Neil Wainwright, but was bravely cleared by Greg Strong.

There were claims for a penalty in the ninth minute when Adrian Webster went down in the box under a challenge from Alan Navarro.

A minute later referee Lee Mason was pointing to the spot after Wijnhard was dragged down by Strong.

However, the striker - who earned and converted a penalty in the 1-0 win over Wycombe in October - placed his kick too close to Steve Wilson, who collected with relative ease.

Wijnhard made amends in the 26th minute, finishing a neat move to put Quakers one up.

After a quick interchange of passes between Matt Clarke - who began the move with a strong run down the left - and Craig Hignett, the latter squared low into the box for Wijnhard, who tucked the ball past Wilson for his eighth goal of the season.

It was skipper Maddison who doubled Quakers' lead with five minutes of the half remaining, volleying Hignett's corner past Wilson.

But just as Quakers appeared to be heading in at half-time with a comfortable two-goal cushion, Parkin steered the ball past Russell with a deflected effort.

Defender Michael Welch had the ball in the back of the Quakers net early in the second half, only to have the goal ruled out for off side.

Controversially, Quakers should have been awarded a second penalty in the 71st minute.

Just as Wijnhard was hacked down by Wilson, referee Mason took a comical tumble to the ground of his own.

But for the cynical intervention of Wilson, Wijnhard would have been through on an open goal, so he had no reason to go to ground.

Whether or not Mason actually saw the incident is unclear, but in not awarding Quakers a penalty the Lancashire official failed to follow the letter of the law by not booking Wijnhard.

"The referee told me that he didn't feel Clyde was tripped," said Hodgson. "In my opinion he got the decision wrong. He fell over and really should have gone to his assistant and asked for his view of the incident."

Quakers were able to put the game beyond Macclesfield in the 81st minute.

Wijnhard nodded down for substitute Armstrong, who turned the ball past Wilson from a tight angle, to claim his tenth of the season.

Parkin should have pulled a goal back for the visitors with full-time approaching. He had the chance to capitalise on a Curtis Fleming slip, but blazed over the bar.

Darlington 3 - 1 Macclesfield Town

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